


脱獄 (jailbreak)

by snoflakesun



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Alternate Universe - Future, Fluff and Angst, M/M, No Beta, can be read without knowing the song tho, descriptions of blood (minor), jailbreak (vocaloid song) au, theres less shippy stuff in this one sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-14 18:18:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21020156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snoflakesun/pseuds/snoflakesun
Summary: “Next time,” he turned to Gon. “I’ll teach you to read. Then…”“Then what?” Gon tilted his head curiously.Killua’s voice dropped to a whisper as he headed toward the stairs. “We’ll plan to break out.”-where everyone lives in a dystopia, controlled by the police.





	脱獄 (jailbreak)

**Author's Note:**

> WOW i wrote this in like a few hours so hopefully its not TOO bad?  
kind of not liking my writing recently, so something short might make me feel better LOL  
the entire premise / plot is based off of [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbZwmtZ0YyM)  
hope you enjoy!

Their first memory together was of the cages. Metal bars that suspended from the ceiling kept the children inside like flightless birds. Food and water were given three times a day, with a strict schedule. The door sometimes opened, and they could catch a glimpse of the blue sky that stretched beyond the grey walls of the interior.

There were days when the children were let down, and brought into the library. The library stretched high into the sky, books lining the walls as it spiralled upwards. Most of the kids stayed on the first floor, talking to each other and playing games.

However, two of the children climbed the stairs, making their way to the top. “I’ll beat you!” The white haired one laughed, his clothes ruffling from the wind through the open windows.

“Not if I beat you first!”

Their footsteps thundered on the wood as they ran, their shouts echoing down the stairs. Finally, the two of them reached the top, rolling onto the ground as their feet left the last step.

“I definitely beat you.”

“No you didn’t!”

The boys sat up, grinning at each other. “Gon,” the white haired boy stood up, breathing heavily as he leaned against a bookshelf. “Do you think we can find anything interesting in here?”

“In the books?” Gon looked around the shelves. “Maybe. I’ve never tried reading them before.”

“Well,” the first boy grabbed a random book, throwing it onto the ground. “Who knows.”

Gon leaned forward, opening the book. The pages were white and pristine, as if it were never opened. “Killua, can you read this?” Gon pointed to a line of text.

Killua leaned over Gon’s shoulder, looking at the words that were printed on the paper. “Not really,” he frowned. “I don’t think it’s Japanese.”

“Oh.”

Gon and Killua stared at the book for a little while longer, before Gon flipped the cover back onto the book. Killua picked it up, about to put it back where it was on the shelf when something caught his eye.

He reached his hand further into the shelf, his fingers catching on a few sheets of paper. Slowly, he pulled the papers out, and they scattered onto the floor. Compared to the snowy shine of the previous book, these papers were browned at the edges, slightly ripped and dirty. The pages were filled with messy scribbles and drawings, diagrams and equations. 

“What is this?” Gon lifted one of the papers curiously. 

“It looks like a drawing of some machine,” Killua picked up another one. He squinted, reading the scribbled Japanese that went down in columns. “A… craft that will help you break out of the walls…”

“Out of the walls?” Gon asked. “It exists?”

“I’m sure it does,” Killua grinned. “I’ve read a few stories about it.”

On the first few floors of the library, there were books about fantasy lands and magical creatures, but some of them talked about what life was like before. Before the walls were built, and before everyone beyond them was killed.

“Whoah,” Gon glanced out the window, beyond the endless blue that was the sky.

“Gon! Killua!” A woman’s voice called, and Killua looked over the railing to see a woman waving at them. “It’s time to go!”

“Okay!” Killua called back, bunching the papers in his hands before shoving them back onto the shelf. 

“Next time,” he turned to Gon. “I’ll teach you to read. Then…”

“Then what?” Gon tilted his head curiously.

Killua’s voice dropped to a whisper as he headed toward the stairs. “We’ll plan to break out.”

-

The days dragged on endlessly. Each of the cages held two children, and Killua was lucky that he was paired with Gon. He could remember the first day that he was thrown into the cages, and Gon’s terrified look as kids filed in one after another.

“Hi,” Gon grinned. “I’m Gon!”

The two of them were standing in a line that stretched as far as the eye could see. They were being led into a large, factory-looking building with metal walls on all four sides. Killua hadn’t slept for days, and he could feel the tiredness creeping up on him. But he would have to hold out for a little longer.

“Killua,” the other nodded in greeting. “So this is it, huh…?”

“What is?” Gon looked back at Killua as they were pushed forward in lines, their hands shackled by the chains.

“Where we’re going to stay.”

“Huh?”

They were only eight at the time, too young to understand the world, but too old to be left to roam. The kids in front of them were pushed forcefully, their handcuffs dropping as they stumbled into the cages. The metal doors slammed, and the cage was brought up; the other kids watched with horror and fascination.

“Move,” the guard pushed Killua forward, causing him to trip over his feet.

He collapsed on the cold floor before feeling it move upward, and he nearly gagged. “They’re so brutal,” he frowned as he wiped the corner of his mouth.

“I know right?” Killua looked up to see Gon crouched on the other corner. “Killua, what are they going to do to us?”

“Nothing,” Killua scoffed. “Absolutely nothing. We’re going to stay here and live like pigs until we’re of age.”

“And then…?”

“Then you’re given two choices. Either one, you become part of the police, or two, you live on your own. But if you live on your own, you are constantly watched over and could die at any moment.”

Gon sat up, crawling over to Killua’s side. “You’re so smart, Killua!”

“It’s nothing,” Killua looked away. “My brother told me this information.”

“But still,” Gon gave him an easy smile, picking up one of Killua’s hands. “You’re amazing.”

“Don’t you feel embarrassed?” Killua pushed Gon gently with his free hand. “That’s not what someone would usually say.”

“Hehe,” Gon scratched his cheek. “Well, I’m just being honest.”

Killua stared at him for a moment before shaking his head. “You’re weird.”

“Eh? Why?”

Silence was the given response, and Gon moved to lean his back against the metal bars. “Well, at least I’m paired with someone that I like!” Gon laughed. “Well, it’s not like I _ dislike _ anyone…”

Gon continued to ramble as Killua leaned against his shoulder, the effect of not sleeping for days washing over him. Gon sighed softly as he closed his mouth and thought about Killua’s words. “It’s be nice if we could be free.”

-

“I wonder if anyone has been beyond the walls,” Gon ran a finger along the cold metal of the bars.

“Probably,” Killua had his hands folded behind his head. “Just they never return, so we wouldn’t know if they did.”

Gon stuck his tongue out. “Maybe if we did, then we could come back and tell people about it.”

“Dumbass,” Killua poked Gon’s side, making him yelp in surprise. “Why would you want to come back here?”

“Well Mito-san still lives here…”

Killua rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Do what you want.”

Gon laughed. “But if Killua doesn’t want to return, then we don’t have to.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ll go along with what you decide,” Gon shrugged. “Besides, I want to be with you.”

Killua’s eyes widened before he looked away. “... dumbass.”

It had been a few weeks since they discovered the pages in the back of the library. During the times they were let out of the cages, they ran to a room in the back of the building, drawing on blank sheets of paper with crayons.

The room was littered with materials, tools, and paper. Killua usually looked out the window as Gon drew, to keep watch for when the police would come near. Sometimes Gon would ask for Killua’s help, and the two of them would be crouched over the papers on the ground, red and blue marks streaking across the paper.

They had never brought the paper back to their cages, however, in fear of being discovered. The suspicion had never been cleared, but there were rumors about what happened to the people who tried to defy the police.

Between the possibility of being found out compared to leaving the papers there for another day, it seemed that there was an obvious choice.

The two of them usually didn’t run into much trouble, and the other kids seemed to mind their own business as well. Days passed uneventfully, and the papers that stayed in the room started to pile on the ground.

-

Selection day.

Once a year, the police would enter the factory building, and the teens who were above age fifteen were brought down. They stood in rows for hours as the police counted and recounted, named and renamed. Then, slowly, they would split into two groups, the police and the civilians. 

It was strange, how the police could see. Under their caps were bright orange blindfolds, tied around their eyes and the loose ribbon resting on their backs. Only the captain, the main policeman, had his ribbon in his hand, not around his eyes.

If someone took too long to decide, they were automatically put in as a civilian. The groups were always uneven, more people chose to side with the civilians. Friendships were torn apart as two friends stood on the opposite sides of the line, fear and betrayal apparent in their eyes.

Then, the police would evacuate everyone, and the room would feel bigger. The fourteen-year-olds clung onto each other, for they knew that their time was limited. 

There was a time that a riot broke out during selection day. A kid started yelling, throwing a tantrum. The captain did not say any words, but took out a gun, and pulled the trigger.

The silence that followed was deafening. No one dared to move, and the policemen did not even flinch. The children who were on the ground floor froze in place, their eyes wide as the blood started to pool around their feet. 

After that, no one had dared to defy. After all, everyone had gotten the message: defying meant certain death.

Some kids attempted to take their own life before selection day. Some were successful, and others were saved, rather, taken by the hospital to be healed. The hours after selection day was often filled with the sounds of hundreds of children crying, the sound of water hitting the ground akin to rain.

But selection day was inevitable.

One year left.

-

“Once I leave this place,” Gon turned to Killua, who was staring back at him. “I’m going to build that plane.”

“But it’s not even close to being completed!”

“That’s fine,” Gon shrugged. “We can just fix it as we go along. You’re smart, Killua. I know you can do it.”

Killua threw his head back, groaning. “Gon, you’re going to die by doing that.”

“So?”

Killua snapped his head up, turning to look at Gon, who had a serious expression on his face. “Killua, I don’t want to stay here. I want to see the outside world, I want-”

“It’s time for lunch!” The door slammed open, and a policeman pressed the button to lower the cages. “Get in lines!”

Gon’s intense stare did not fade, and Killua moved forward to drag him by the hand. “Let’s go, Gon.”

Gon blinked a few times before following Killua. “Ah, sorry! I was lost in thought.”

Killua’s gaze softened slightly. “Dumbass, you can think all you want once we’re out of here.”

Gon grinned in response, moving his hand to lace their fingers together. “Yeah!”

They followed the line to the cafeteria, where they were able to mingle with the other children. But the two of them preferred to stay alone, in a small corner, undisturbed.

“Honestly, how are we going to find all the materials to build a plane?” Killua picked up a piece of meat before chewing it.

“Mm, maybe we can pick up scraps or something,” Gon looked down at his plate. “There’s definitely people out there who can help us.”

“Maybe,” Killua leaned his chin on his palm. “And if they sell us to the police?”

“Well,” Gon stuck out his tongue. “We’ll just have to make sure they don’t do that.”

“Whatever you say.”

The two finished their lunch quickly, putting their plates back onto the stacks before being ushered back into the cages. The blue sky never seemed closer.

-

“Get in lines.”

Killua’s eyes widened, fear coursing through him as he followed behind Gon, his breathing suddenly quicker, shallower.

“Killua?” Gon whispered.

“It’s nothing,” Killua responded before looking straight ahead.

It wasn’t possible. It shouldn’t be possible.

“We will now do roll call. If any of you attempt to escape, what happened three years ago should be enough of a reminder.”

The fifteen-year-olds stood straight, their gazes impassive as the policemen pulled out clipboards, the captain starting to read off names.

It was tiring, standing in place for so long. His legs were starting to feel strained, and he wanted to do nothing more than sit down.

“You will now start splitting onto factions.”

The captain’s voice was monotonous, but Killua still felt his body tense up whenever the captain opened his mouth.

All of the teens moved forward, the only sound in the room being the shuffling of their feet. Killua watched as most of the people swerved to the right, to join the group of civilians.

“The day is finally here,” Gon breathed out.

“Yeah.”

Killua’s voice was hard and cold, his eyes trained on the ground. One thought repeated in his mind: _ Why? _

Why was he here? And how? 

Gon, the person before him, moved to the right. 

“Look up.”

Killua did as he was told.

His mind blanked as he met the icy stare, his body frozen. 

“It’s time for you to choose, Kil.”

Killua swallowed hard, his throat dry. He could feel Gon’s stare boring into his side, but he could not look away from the person in front of him.

_ Why is he captain?! _

“Be part of the police.”

It wasn’t a choice.

Killua moved to the left.

_ Why, how? Why is Illumi the captain of the police?_

Gon’s gaze was impassive.

He could feel the betrayal.

For the rest of the selection, Killua kept his eyes glued to the floor.

-

Police training was brutal. They were forced to wake up early, before the sunrise. After running for hours, the trainees moved onto target practice. 

Another factory-like building, although slightly different, was where they would practice. Gunshots would ring for hours, and every time he left the room, his ears would ring. The pain was nearly unbearable, but no one else was saying anything, so he kept his mouth shut.

Daybreak no longer signified hope, but rather, pain. It meant the day was starting, and that meant a full day of training.

Oh, how he wished to defy.

But he knew, as well as everyone else, that defying meant certain death. And so, he continued. For years, while his best friend of seven years was somewhere else in the city, putting together their dream.

The blindfolds eased some of his pain. Every time he pulled the trigger, he hoped that it was someone he didn’t know. The pained cries and shouts made him turn away, and he hated himself for causing them.

As everything has a beginning, everything has an end. After a year or two, the training stopped. They were sent out on regular missions instead, and no longer had to run for hours in the brutal heat.

He did not communicate with anyone. He did not want to, and no one approached him. Every day was a blind hell, the orange cloth around his eyes. Some days, he wished he could take them off, and see what life was like outside the factory walls.

But as part of the police, there were stricter rules.

Taking off the cloth meant defying. And defying meant certain death.

-

The mission was simple: someone had defied.

He ran with fear spiking through his heart as he was given the location. It was too familiar, too close, too intimate. 

As he approached the building, he could hear the sounds of machinery rattling, and the roar of an engine. Feeling the building quickly, he found the entrance, pulling open the door and following the stairs by memory.

He could remember his past self, running with his best friend up the stairs, their laughter and smiles that brightened the room.

The ghosts of his memories carried papers with browned edges, small boxes of crayons, a toolbox, along with other objects. Every footstep left a memory in its wake, and he clutched onto the railing, ripping off the cloth around his eyes.

A gust of wind blew into his face, causing the ribbon to flap wildly in his hands. In front of him, the dream of two children, stood. Real and tangible, within an arm’s reach.

He stepped forward tentatively, and the boy standing by the edge turned to look at him.

“Killua.”

“Gon.”

They stood across from each other, emotions flashing through their eyes. Gon broke the silence with a small smile. “I finished.”

Killua’s eyes widened. “But… there’s no way! There are definitely machine errors or manufacturing errors! There’s no way you could have made sure everything was okay!”

“You’re right.”

Killua stopped, his fingers curling around the ribbon in his hands. 

“It’s not perfect. But it’s okay.”

“No, Gon!” Killua cried out, stepping forward again. “You can’t do this!”

“Either I die here, or I die in the skies,” Gon’s smile was bitter. “Killua, we could have done this together.”

Killua’s breathing was labored as he looked at the airplane, then back at Gon. “That’s… yeah. We could have. But Gon, it’s too soon. Give me a few years, I’ll…”

“I can’t wait anymore,” Gon shook his head. “It’s alright, Killua.”

Gon pulled the goggles over his eyes, casting a look at the other before stepping into the aircraft, the door slamming shut behind him.

Killua stood frozen as he watched the plane take off into the sky, the aircraft shaky and uneven. He attempted to slow his breathing to calm himself down. Maybe it would be okay, maybe it…

The sky lit up with orange. Killua’s heart stopped for a moment.

The plane shattered into pieces, filling the sky with black smoke like a firework. Killua could see the goggles fall to the ground, and he jumped out of the building, a terrible cry ripping from his throat.

“This is not what I wanted!” He screamed as he ran forward, watching the explosion happen in the air. “Gon!”

Killua sprinted through the streets, to where he guessed the impact would have dropped Gon off at. It was in the fields, where the grasses were bright green. Gon’s body lay, covered by the grass, unmoving. 

“Gon, Gon!” Killua lifted Gon’s shoulder, shaking him slightly. 

For a moment, Gon opened his eyes, looking at Killua before smiling. “It was beautiful, Killua,” he whispered. “The outside world…”

“Stop talking, you dumbass!” Killua could feel tears pricking at his eyes. “Stop…”

“Don’t cry, Killua,” Gon lifted his arm weakly. “It was my choice to make. Besides, I already got what I wanted.”

“What did you want?” Killua’s voice was shaky.

“To see the outside world,” Gon closed his eyes. “And you, one last time.”

Killua felt Gon go limp in his arms, and he could no longer stop himself, bringing the body of his best friend closer to him as he started to cry. His shouts echoed across the empty field, dissipating into the air as his voice started to diminish.

The orange cloth in his hand fluttered to the ground, and he could hear sirens in the distance. “Well,” he sighed bitterly. “I would have liked to see the outside world, as well.”

He closed his eyes as he heard the footsteps nearing. His arms were around Gon’s shoulders, and he opened his mouth when someone stopped in front of him.

“We’re free,” he whispered.

One gunshot, and he fell limp.

Because taking off the cloth mean defying, and defying meant certain death.

**Author's Note:**

> sorry for bad ending.  
the pov suddenly goes WACK near the end, sorry about that too.  
come talk to me on my [twitter](https://twitter.com/snoflakesun)


End file.
